


Protectors

by The_Plaid_Slytherin



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Battle Couple, Difficult Pregnancy, King Stannis Baratheon, M/M, Married Stannis Baratheon/Davos Seaworth, Mpreg, pregnant Davos Seaworth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27201772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/pseuds/The_Plaid_Slytherin
Summary: Davos cannot leave Stannis to fight on his own, even in his advanced state of pregnancy.
Relationships: Stannis Baratheon/Davos Seaworth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: Fic In A Box





	Protectors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greygerbil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/gifts).



They were making good time. Stannis lowered the far-eye and scanned the horizon. There was a ship approaching, but the Narrow Sea was always well-traveled. The presence of other vessels wasn't alarming. Stannis's only concern was getting Davos back to King's Landing before he went into labor.

Not that he had any reason to believe labor was imminent. Davos was eight months along, but he seemed unreasonably large, which didn't bode well for the babe staying put for long. Stannis asked him frequently if he thought he might be carrying twins; Davos only laughed and reminded Stannis that he was well over six feet tall, and hadn't Renly been over half a stone at birth? 

Stannis was still not convinced; he kept trying to feel for kicks in places that would be impossible for one baby to manage.

"We'll make Massey's Hook by this evening, Your Grace," the captain said.

"Good." Stannis handed the far-eye back, having just remembered he wasn't completely in command here. Perhaps he ought to just join Davos below. 

He lowered himself into the hatch and let his eyes adjust to the dark. Davos was worrying him for another reason, that of his seasickness. He had been ill on the way down, and their time in Dorne for Princess Arianne's wedding had not been long enough for him to make a full recovery, though he'd put on a brave face, and had insisted to Stannis in no uncertain terms that they could not leave early or not attend the wedding at all. Davos had sensibly pointed out that displaying a heavily pregnant consort would do much-needed work for establishing Stannis's rule in Dorne, especially as that consort was male and not getting any younger (those had been Davos's words). 

He let himself into their cabin. Davos was napping, and Stannis took a moment to admire his husband. Davos's hand rested on his belly as he slept. Stannis settled down beside the bunk, thinking about how much he loved him. They had been through so much to fight for their throne, and now, finally they had it. 

"I trust everything is in order on deck?" Shortened fingers petted Stannis's hair. 

"Yes." Stannis flushed at having been discovered meddling. "The captain is doing a fine job." 

Davos smiled. "And I am sure your supervision was well needed and well taken." 

Stannis sat on the bunk beside Davos and kissed him. "Your point is well taken. How do you feel?" 

"Ready to go home and stay home." 

"The captain says we will make Massey's Hook tonight; we may be home tomorrow." 

"Good." Davos yawned. "My stomach is still roiling. I should like to remind it that I am supposed to be a sailor."

"You've never been with child before," Stannis reminded him. "Your body is expending a lot of work on producing our child. You are not supposed to be up top."

Davos smiled. "And no more should you." 

Stannis knew when he was bested. "I'm sure you don't feel like doing anything other than resting."

"No, but it would be a pleasure to have you rest beside me."

Stannis did not normally deign to nap, but having a pregnant husband as an excuse made him reconsider. He removed his boots and lay down beside Davos. 

He was only barely asleep when he heard the shouting from somewhere above him. He was awake instantly. He had been a commander since he was barely into manhood, and he knew the sounds of battle. 

He fumbled for his boots.

"That has to be—" Davos began, but Stannis interrupted him. 

"Stay here," he instructed Davos, kissing him clumsily. "For gods' sakes, stay here." He did not know what the danger could possibly be, but the adrenaline thrumming through his veins was making him act. 

The last thing he saw before he shut the door was Davos's worried face.

Stannis scrambled up the ladder and burst through the hatch, drawing his sword in one motion. The deck was crowded with pirates, all doing battle with Stannis's men and the crew. Without a second thought, he joined the fray. 

He had never considered himself a great warrior; his strengths had always lain in tactics, strategy, command. But he could comport himself reasonably well on the battlefield if he needed to, especially against probably untrained pirates. 

Stannis engaged one in combat, dispatching him with a few quick thrusts. 

Then, he turned his attention to his next target.

**

Davos did not like waiting below. He misliked that his seasickness had rendered him utterly useless at sea, and he misliked even more that he was stuck below while there was a fight going on. Davos had never been much for fighting, but he did what circumstance required. 

And right now, he thought circumstance required him to come to the rescue of his husband. 

Davos unsheathed the short sword he had armed himself with upon being left by Stannis. He remembered the last time Stannis had kissed him before hurrying off to battle, and that had been an agonizing separation. Stannis facing countless white walkers alone had played in his nightmares for months after, and even though he suspected the enemies he was facing now were flesh and blood, and that he wasn't alone, Davos still didn't want to leave him.

He made his way cautiously down the corridor; though there was obviously no danger here. He climbed the ladder slowly, remember how he'd descended it with Stannis's help when they'd boarded the ship. He hadn't gone up on deck, being satisfied with air from the porthole (and said porthole had served admirably as an exit for the contents of his stomach). 

He blinked furiously in the too-bright sunlight up top and staggered a little. He had underestimated how unbalanced his belly made him. 

The deck was littered with dead and wounded men, mostly not theirs, he was relieved to see. He also didn't recognize this batch of pirates as belonging to Salladhor Saan, he was also relieved to see. Salla would be quite put out that someone else was operating in what he regarded as territory bestowed upon him by the King on the Iron Throne (however much Stannis might dispute this). 

Davos scanned the deck for signs of his husband. 

Stannis was a few feet away, fighting two pirates. There was blood on his sleeve, and Davos didn't hesitate a moment before charging to his rescue. 

Stannis's eyes went wide as Davos approached, but he stepped deftly out of the way as Davos sliced his sword into the side of one of his assailants. The man turned, enraged, and the moment's hesitation he took to notice Davos was pregnant was as long as it took for Stannis to take his head off. If Davos hadn't been desperate to protect his husband, he might have been somewhat distressed to see a head hit the deck at his feet, or to feel the hot blood spatter across his cheek. But all he cared for now was that Stannis was safe. 

The second Stannis's back was to his second opponent, the pirate raised his sword. Davos swung up, barely even sure of his aim around his belly. His sword connected with the pirate's, the clash of steel on steel jarring his ears and his arms. Stannis lunged behind Davos; he must have had an attacker. Davos was able to parry the pirate's next blow; apparently it was very shocking to fight a pregnant man, and he had to assume this was what gave him his advantage. He certainly didn't have the advantage of skill or agility. 

He thrust forward, his blade sliding between the pirate's ribs. He winced; he had never done that before and it was a horrible feeling. He pulled his sword out again as the pirate dropped, spinning back to Stannis who was dispatching his last foe. 

"You…" Stannis was breathing hard. But Davos didn't get a chance to hear what Stannis had to say. He was darting forward again, as best he could, his sword slamming into the stomach of a man who was about to take off Stannis's head. Davos and the pirate fell in a tangle of limbs and weapons. He felt steel bite into his leg, and a tearing pain in his belly. 

He grabbled with the man, who was nearly twice his size, taller even than Stannis. The man was beneath him, on top of him, then beneath him and on top of him again, until suddenly he was still. Davos collapsed under the weight of the dead pirate; it was gone moments later as Stannis pushed him off. Davos could see Stannis's sword still in the man's back. 

"My gods, Davos." Stannis collapsed beside him. "What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking?" Davos nearly laughed. His shoulders were shaking. "I was thinking of what good I would be left below if all my defenders died. What good I would be without you." 

Stannis's arms went around his shoulders, lifting him up. He could not stop shivering, even though he was nowhere near cold. "You would raise our child and—"

"And I would not want to." Davos kissed Stannis firmly, as firmly as he could when he could not sit up under his own power. "I love you." 

Stannis let out a ragged breath. "I love you, too." 

Around them, their men were rounding up the remaining pirates; Stannis looked up as though debating if he should give any orders, but he must have decided things were under control because he rose slowly, easing Davos to his feet. "You're hurt."

"You're hurt, too." 

"No worse than you." 

It was only then that Davos realized the cut on his arm and the gash in his thigh. It was difficult to put weight on that leg, and he did have to lean on Stannis, though Stannis was embracing him as much as he was helping him. Davos squeezed him back. Perhaps they could support each other, however awkwardly, the way they did everything else in life. 

**

Eventually, they managed to get below decks. Stannis lowered Davos onto the bunk, then sat down hard on the floor himself. 

"I'll go for the maester," he said. "When I can get up."

"I can—"

"No," Stannis bit out.

"Well, I'm sure the maester is busy. We can manage. I know there are some supplies in that cabinet."

Stannis got shakily to his feet and made it to the cabinet. He knew as king he perhaps ought to have made himself present to his commanders but they knew where to find him. He had priorities. 

"You first," he said to Davos, dropping back onto the floor in front of him. He wasn't going to get up again if he didn't have to.

"I don't see why," Davos said. 

Stannis tried to protest, to make him see logic, but Davos was pulling Stannis's shirt off before he could get the words out. As soon as his arms were free, he went to Davos's breeches. 

It worked reasonably well; Davos cleaning the wound on Stannis's shoulder while Stannis pulled Davos's breeches down enough to expose the wound in his thigh. They worked without speaking, wordlessly, passing each other gauze and linen. 

Finished with Davos's thigh before Davos was finished with his shoulder, Stannis gamely moved his arm so Davos could bind the wound. 

"You ought not to have tried to carry me," Davos admonished. "You've made the wound worse."

Stannis shook his head. "And there is no way I would not have tried to carry you." The moment Davos tied the bandage off, Stannis was on his feet and motioning for Davos to sit up so he could have his own arm looked at.

"I will thank you for saving my life," he said. "More than once, I believe." 

"And you mine." Davos pressed against Stannis as much as he could and still have his wound seen to. It was bleeding more than Stannis thought it had any right to and it took some time to tie off. 

"Are you bleeding from anywhere else?" Stannis asked him. 

"No." Davos's hands settled on his belly. 

"What about the babe?"

Davos winced. "I felt. I felt some pain…" 

Stannis closed his eyes. Davos's fight with the pirate played itself out again in his mind; as they struggled with each other, he saw again and again the man slamming Davos to the deck. _If he wasn't already dead, I would kill him._

"I'll get the maester." Stannis rose shakily to his feet.

"Stannis." 

"It is the matter of our _heir_ ," he snarled. "And of you. There is nothing more important than that." His leg buckled but he forced it to comply. This was for Davos, and some pain was a small price to pay.

**

Davos lay, waiting uncomfortably, waiting for the babe to move. It had been moving actively during his earlier rest, though he didn't know if the child could have slept through the fight. Would Davos have been able to sleep if he were suddenly flipped upside down and tossed about like a ship in a storm? Perhaps the babe was just too dizzy to move. 

He was half afraid to prod his belly, though he'd sometimes done that to get the child moving. Stannis returned with the maester and a glass of water, which he bade Davos drink. 

"That's gotten the child moving before, hasn't it?" the maester asked. He checked Davos's belly and other parts of him, while Stannis resolutely held his hand. "Nothing seems wrong," the maester concluded. "All you can do is wait." 

Davos frowned and let his arm fall back over his belly. He did not regret what he'd done; he'd undoubtedly saved Stannis's life. 

Stannis's arms settled around Davos's shoulder and they lay down together. Neither of them spoke for so long that Davos thought Stannis might have fallen asleep. 

"I'm glad you're all right," he said softly against Davos's hair. 

"And I you." 

"I could not rule without you. I thought that when you fell pregnant and then when you were so sick…"

Davos pressed his lips together. It hadn't been an easy pregnancy; it had been work to conceive and then Davos had been too ill to get out of bed for the first several weeks. His trip by sea had brought his months-long respite to an end, reminding him of the hellish first months of pregnancy. 

"Let us not dwell on it," Davos kissed him. "Soon we will be home." 

"Indeed." Stannis sighed. "I must meet again with Salladhor Saan… I do not like half condoning piracy, but he would make the Narrow Sea safe."

"I'll talk to him." Davos squeezed Stannis's hand. 

"You have too much to worry about," Stannis admonished again, pressing his hand to Davos's belly.

He was rewarded by a strong kick.

Davos had thought his own elation unparalleled but Stannis's face lit up like he'd never seen it do before. Stannis had demonstrated himself to be an attentive, caring father-to-be since the maester had first informed them of Davos's pregnancy; at times, he seemed even more excited about the baby than Davos was. And he'd demonstrated it was more than just his need for an heir.

"You," he said, pressing a firm kiss to Davos's belly, "are as stubborn as your father." 

"Which father might you mean?" Davos asked fondly, stroking Stannis's hair. 

"Myself, naturally." He kissed Davos, not taking his hand off Davos's belly. He was rubbing circles on it, which felt wonderful with how sore it had become over the course of the afternoon. It was beginning to bruise, too, which did nothing to help the much-abused state it was already in. 

Davos laughed. The babe was still kicking at Stannis's hand. "I cannot believe this little one slept through that. I hope this means he or she will sleep easily in the nursery." 

"I," Stannis began and shook his head. "I will stay up with it every night as long it arrives healthy." 

"You may regret your words," Davos said gently. 

Stannis kissed his belly again. "I assure you I will not. Besides, you cannot think you will do everything by yourself."

Davos smiled. He'd already mentioned to Stannis that he didn't want a wet nurse unless necessary. He had always imagined taking care of his own child and he wanted to do that. Stannis had never told him it wasn't allowed (Davos suspected he would never do that) but he had never seemed terribly enthusiastic. Now he was gratified to see him talking excitedly about having the babe in their own room. 

Stannis climbed out of the bunk. "Papa must eat," he said gravely. 

Davos laughed, but he truly was hungry, and was glad when Stannis reappeared with some porridge. Just the thing he'd wanted to fill his empty belly but not anger his lingering queasiness. 

"We have been delayed," Stannis said grimly and unnecessarily. Being beset by pirates, having to fight and arrest them, as well as taking control of their ship and sailing it back to the capital with them would have been a miracle to accomplish in a few hours. "We may not be home tomorrow. Or perhaps in the evening."

"I have no plans." Davos smiled. "Or few plans." He stroked Stannis's hair. "I was just hoping for a few days on dry land with you before the baby comes."

"If your wounds permit." 

They ate together on the bed, neither seeming to want to let the other get too far away. When they were finished, they sat together, watching the sun sink into the sea through the porthole. Davos tried not to think about sending his dinner after it. 

"I hope," Davos said, "that this is not an indication that our child will not be a sailor."

"Nonsense. No more than it indicates our child will sleep easily if it slept through your tussle."

"Perhaps a hardened warrior then?" 

The rumble of Stannis's laugh was a pleasant feeling against his back. "We shall see," he said, gathering Davos's hair behind his shoulder. "We shall see." 

Davos was looking forward to nothing more than finding out.


End file.
